Contact
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)
Artist: Little Willie John
Author: Eddie Cooley/John Davenport
Label: King
Year: 1956
Tragical character; deserved his place in league with Ray Charles and Percy Mayfield, but was condemned for murder in 1966. He died in prison two years later. (see also: Need Your Love So Bad, Leave My Kitten Alone and Let Them Talk)
Covers:
Joe Tex [as Pneumonia]
Johnny Otis Band [vocal: Arthur Lee Maye; first cover, unissued until the 90s]
Ray Peterson [first white cover; his debut single]
Peggy Lee [adding four self-written stanzas and very influential arrangement; hit UK & US]
Anita Lindblom [first translation as Feber (Swedish)]
Gabriel Dalar [as 39 de fièvre; lyrics by Boris Vian]
Louis Prima [in film Hey Boy! Hey Girl!]
Caterina Valente [as 39 De Fièvre]
Cindy Ellis [in German as Fieber]
Laila Kinnunen [in Finnish as Kuume]
La Lupe [in Spanish as Fiebre]
Eddie Cooley [coauthor on MGM]
Michel Laurent [as Ailleurs]
Claude Nougaro [as Docteur]
Jenny Rock [as Cent-deux de fièvre]
Buddy Guy [as You Give Me Fever]
Hassles [vocal: Billy Joel]
Chicago Cubs [as Pennant Fever for Chess; no baseball title and no hit]
Junior Byles [reggae version]
Johnny Hallyday & Sylvie Vartan [as Vivre]
Lizzy Mercier Descloux [as You Give Me Tumor]
Bob Dylan [on Bootleg Series Vol 16]
Marie France [as 39 de fièvre]
Annabella [ex Bow Wow Wow]
Bart Peeters [as Liever]
Ray Charles [with Natalie Cole]
Written by Eddie Cooley, who cut the demo and recorded his own Fever for the lp We Wrote 'Em, We Sing 'Em, initiated by this other frustrated songwriter Otis Blackwell. That was Fever's coauthor under his alias John Davenport, the name of his father in law.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)